A Helljumper's Story - Feet First into Hell
by XxShadowsWithinxX
Summary: Captain Damien Harrison is a UNSC veteran of the Human-Covenant war. He currently resides as part of the elite ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) also informally known as Helljumpers. He may have survived the war for eighteen years but at what cost? Watching both friend and foe fall beside him as he still stands. Learn and suffer the same pain and guilt he has grown to endure.


Helljumper: Feet First Into Hell

* * *

"Most of the crew - not to mention your fellow jarheads - will be leaving the ship in lifeboats. They'll ride to the surface in air conditioned comfort, sipping wine, and nibbling on appetizers. Not you, however. Oh no, you're going to leave the Pillar of Autumn in a different method. Tell me boys and girls… how will you leave?"

"We go feet first, sir!"

* * *

0800 HOURS, AUGUST 25, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) /

51 PEGASI SYSTEM, COVENANT REFINERY REMNANTS,

MOON PEGASI DELTA

"Move move move! Get on the Pelican!" shouted Sergeant Reuben, as his M739 LMG (SAW) tore through the Covenant infantry of Grunts and Jackals. Their bodies crumpled onto the ground as blood sprayed out of their wounds. Corpses littered the ground as rivers of murky blue blood flowed onto the rocky terrain and quickly evaporating into the atmosphere. Several bullets made contact with the pressurized methane tanks on backs of the Grunts, causing small explosions of gore. The Pelican's engine hummed as it levitated off the ground. The engine dispersed the small dust cloud surrounding the vehicle on the rocky and sandy planet.

"The recon mission has been compromised! Fall back and return to the UNSC _All Under Heaven_!" exclaimed Captain Harrison as he pulled an ODST on board while giving covering fire from his M7S SMG.

"KEEP MOVING!" cried Lieutenant Hall, as she waved the rest of the squad onto the Pelican. She reloaded her SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle and continued to pick off higher value targets such as Jackal squad leaders and Elite field commanders.

"Where's Private Zhang?" questioned Sergeant Reuben. As he checked his IFF (Identification Foe or Friendly) radar in his helmet's head's up display. A faint and weak voice answered through the squad's secure COM channel.

"I'm sorry sir… They got me…" Private Zhang apologized. Harrison spotted the silhouette of his fellow ODST in the haze being lifted up by a Brute by the neck, the Covenant soldier wielded the deadly Gravity Hammer in its hand. Harrison saw Zhang getting tossed to the ground followed up with a swing from the hammer. The squad heard a sickening, bone-splintering crunch on COMs as Zhang went silent.

"Damn, not like this." Captain Harrison muttered under his breath. As the last of the ODSTs got on board, the back ramp closed and sealed.

"Alright that's everyone. Lieutenant! Get us the hell out of here!" Harrison ordered.

"Yes sir!" replied Lieutenant Hall as she fired up the D79H-TC and flew out of the firefight zone. The mission had call for the squad to return to the tragic landmark of classified Operation: TORPEDO, a previous classified mission that had gone horribly wrong. The current mission of the ODSTs was to confirm the desertion of a Covenant refinery that existed on the planet almost 9 years ago.

The Covenant had received an increasing amount of raw material from an unknown source. Some of the most recent covert ops had revealed that the covenant had been producing large quantities of Deuterium and Tritium. ONI had been baffled by how and where the Covenant had gotten this material, that is until one week ago when a senior officer dug up records of Operation: TORPEDO. Reports had noted that the natural satellite that orbited 51 Pegasi B also known as Pegasi Delta, had a large Covenant refinery built on the surface. The surface of the world was made of red rocks and sand. Orange dust permeated the sky and had a faint yellow sun, 85 Pegasi-194A. It had seas that were unusually green and rich in Deuterium and Tritium, which the Covenant used in their plasma reactors, and it was used to refuel their ships.

Operation: TORPEDO had destroyed this refinery but at the heavy loss of 298 of the 300 spartans sent to take it out. The explosion caused by the detonation of the reactor had been so large it vaporized the entire refinery along with the bodies of both spartans and Covenant. The surface of the planet had also been partially vaporized so the thought of Covenant returning was almost unthinkable, but since nine years had passed since the incident, ONI believed the moon may have re-terraformed. ONI then sent a group of specially selected individuals to examine the believed to be deserted moon. Unbeknownst to them, that was not the case.

A squad of 8 ODSTs were selected for the mission. Although a normal mission squadron would be led by a single sergeant, this mission called for treading on classified ground, so the members selected all had trustworthy reputations. One of these members was Captain Damien Harrison, a hardened veteran that climbed the ranks of the Marine Corps quicker than his fellow soldiers. His silent yet deadly demeanor had got him selected for the infamous Helljumpers.

* * *

"How many casualties? Has the Covenant really revived the refinery?" demanded Fleet Admiral Hood. Sergeant Reuben leaned over the navigation table, staring at his hands for a brief period.

He locked eyes with the Admiral and stated, "Yes, it's true, the refinery is rebuilt but it appears to be larger than documented. Also we lost one man, have three wounded and two in critical condition…" Reuben looked back down at his has and clenched them into fists. He looks back and the Admiral and asks, "Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Permission denied Sergeant." the Admiral answered. "Now if this really is true, then we must take out that refinery once again. Although this will be a much more difficult task than nine years ago." the Admiral pondered at this to himself.

"More difficult than nine years ago?! Sir, we lost 298 Spartans in Operation: TORPEDO. How can we risk anymore than that?" the Sergeant spat out. The Admiral looked at the Sergeant silently for a moment due to his sudden outburst, then spoke.

"Sergeant, you are dismissed for today." Reuben growled at this and slammed his fist on the table before turning around on his heel and marched out of the bridge. The Admiral then looked at Captain Harrison and dismissed him too.

As Damien walked out the bridge he thought of Reuben's response earlier. Thinking of how he probably would have responded the same way 5 years ago.

"Heh, how long has it been? Eighteen years? Damn, I should be lucky for surviving this long in this one-sided war. We ain't going to win, all we are doing… delaying the inevitable… How did I get get this far? Hmph, speaking of getting this far how did this all start?"


End file.
